Niger coup brings France’s complicated relationship with its former colonies into the spotlight

3 comments

1. Article:

   **The coup in Niger is the latest in a series of military takeovers in West Africa that have toppled governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. The ensuing political upheaval has caused tensions throughout the region and beyond – most notably with former colonial power France. FRANCE 24 speaks to regional expert Gilles Yabi, founder and CEO of West African think tank WATHI, to put the fallout in context.**

   One week since a military coup ousted Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, the situation remains uncertain. Rising tensions between protesters supporting the junta and those supporting the deposed president caused France to begin evacuating its citizens on August 1.

   Niger is the fourth West African country in three years to have its government overturned by the military. Political upheaval in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger has taken place against a backdrop of widespread poverty. Along their shared borders, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger also face an acute security threat from encroaching jihadi terrorist groups.

   France has a long history in West Africa, where it was a colonial power until 1960. Since independence, France has maintained trade relations and a military presence in the region, which have caused long-term tensions that now seem to be reaching new heights.

   French troops withdrew from Mali in 2022 and Burkina Faso in 2023 following military coups. New leadership in Niger could lead to another withdrawal from a country France saw as a key ally in the Sahel.

   FRANCE 24 spoke to Gilles Yabi, founder and CEO of West African think tank WATHI, to better understand the reasons behind the military coups, and why they have received such strong support among some local populations.

   **In Niger – as in Burkina Faso and Mali – protesters have taken to the streets to show their support for the military coup that has removed elected President Mohamed Bazoum from power. Is this a rejection of the democratic process?**

   The motivations of the protesters are diverse. We know that in Niamey [Niger’s capital city] there is significant opposition to Bazoum, and probably even more against his party, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), which has been in power for 12 years.

   Some have joined protests to show their opposition, rather than out of support for the idea of a military coup. Others are probably genuinely convinced that a military takeover is beneficial for the country. We have to note as well that other Nigeriens have protested in support of the president, but were quickly dispersed by security forces.

   It is questionable whether there is a criticism of democracy, because in order to criticise a system that system must have been actually implemented. Otherwise, it’s the failure to apply the concept, rather than the concept itself that poses a problem.

   All the West African constitutions are democratic, but we know that in reality they don’t reflect real political practice. There are legitimate criticisms over lack of credible elections, use of legal procedures to remove opposition, the scale of corruption and wealth gaps. But they don’t call into question the basic principle of democracy, which is to have governments chosen by the people – however that may be – who work for the people.

   The heavy price we are paying today is, in my opinion, a failure to build solid states with effective institutions since independence [from French colonial rule].

2. It will be interesting to see if war breaks out on sunday when the ECOWAS ultimatum runs out. France would probably support in some way

3. > First of all, I think we need to stop pretending that the effects of colonisation are no longer having an impact. Just because the French president wasn’t born in the colonial era doesn’t mean that the political and economic domination of that time hasn’t continued to this day. History is not made up of a series of watertight periods that have nothing to do with each other.

   > France must be clear and acknowledge that it has strategic interests in West Africa. These have certainly diminished over time, but that doesn’t change the fact that local populations feel wronged by formal and informal agreements [with France] that, they think, must be reviewed.

   So true. Brushing off the damage this period has done with a simple “it’s in the past” must feel incredibly insulting for these people.

   One must not fall into the idea that all of Africa’s problems are just because of Europe actions of the past, that narrative has been repeated ad nauseam but we shouldn’t push back against that circle-jerk by pretending that its just in the past and that it doesn’t play a role any-more.